Chapter 3: Sustainable Products and Future Reuse

Title: Product Lifecycle Management Strategy for a sustainable product innovation with a new photovoltaic technology- Dye Solar Cell

Author(s): Nico Pastewski, Claus Lang-Koetz, Daniel Heubach

Address: Fraunhofer Institute Industrial Engineering (IAO) Nobelstrasse 12, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany | Fraunhofer Institute Industrial Engineering (IAO) Nobelstrasse 12, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany | Fraunhofer Institute Industrial Engineering (IAO) Nobelstrasse 12, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany

Reference: International Conference on Product Lifecycle Management 2008 pp. 222 - 228

Abstract/Summary: The PLM strategy for the dye solar cell technology, which has been developed at the earliest possible stage and continuously adapted, helped to ensure proper technology development in terms of environment protection and sustainability. The innovative ColorSol approach internalizes several assessment concepts comprising of an EIA for the substances used, a simplified LCA and a detailed recycling concept of the future product. In doing so, we hope to provide certainty in a long-time perspective to address all relevant environmental aspects. In a large scale implementation of dye solar cells in facades large energy savings (low energy payback times) will probably be possible. It is shown, that in the early phases of the product innovation process, products can be substantially influenced towards achieving a sustainable and environmentally friendly design. For that purpose the environmental impact assessment and life cycle thinking should be systematically integrated in a technology development process.

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